Akai Tom Cat Unboxing & Demo

Here is my next unboxing video with an in depth demo jam of the new Akai Tom Cat analog drum machine. I have to say that I already like it a lot more than it's predecessor, the Rhythm Wolf, and I loved the Wolf. Audio comes from camera mic until I start playing & tweaking the drums. Recorded audio comes from Tom Cat to Mackie Onyx mixer with no EQ then recorded into Logic Pro with no processing, giving you the true sound of the Akai Tom Cat.

[@outdatedgear5036]

Nice! Someone finally did a video. That's all I wanted, to hear how it sounds.

[@Zinfidel1]

It's good to know others liked the Rhythm Wolf. Man oh man did it have problems but it was still super easy and fun to play with. Tuning be damned! I feel like the internet just likes to hate on Akai just because they have Korg or Roland or some super expensive gear when I like what Akai is attempting to do I sold my wolf cause I needed the money but it taught me to never EVER listen to the internet comments about new gear until I've played it myself. Will definitely pick up a Tom Cat in the future.

[@HardtekStudios]

I probably use the Akai analog gear more than anything else in my studio. Some much fun to jam with.

[@Zinfidel1]

It didn't get a whole lot of attention but .. I really want a Timbre Wolf. I'm usually particular about filter and envelope settings but it looks like so much fun. I hope none of this "backlash" prevents Akai from exploring analog just because of spiteful internet comments which consists mostly of people that haven't used the gear.

[@HatredPrime]

Akai and Alesis are just a stickers, they don't exist anymore. It's just holding with shareholders who only care about profit, once they milk those brands names, products with logos of alesis and akai would be gone forever

[@Zinfidel1]

HatredPrime Aren't you a bundle of joy? The MPC and controller stuff they're releasing now is pretty Akai-y. And the modern Akai is much, much different from the Akai of a few decades ago.

[@HatredPrime]

John Doe modern akai is as cheap as possible and as effortless as possible, wouldn't call it even akai

[@D.Z.A.-kp8lf]

I have both of these drum machines and they are a beast tomcat & rhythm wolf... True analog drum machines

[@thelooprecords4263]

Thanks for the unboxing man

[@SolarDeathRay]

Sounds like a great psytrance and industrial machine. I'm definitely gonna check this one out.

[@Falkon303]

The kick is solid.

[@HardtekStudios]

+Ben Althauser Tanks!

[@roetsj]

I cannot think of a full analog drummachine at this price that would sound better,it has some attitude IMO.

[@lara834]

So cool!

[@thicks7870]

I tried syncing my timbre wolf to the rhythm wolf and was getting some issues I think involving midi. did you ever sync this device to others? I was hoping I could sync both machines and use the headphone output without needing my interface or a mixer

[@marike1100]

Like it more than the Volca, it has Swing and better I/O ports. Still might pick up the TR8 (or an 808 clone like the mfb 522), it has the sound I most enjoy with the long kicks. Good demo, glad this is on my radar now, thanks.

[@HardtekStudios]

+Altodon A The TR8 is very lust-worthy. I have thought about picking it up myself, but I already have enough analog/VA drum machines. That glowing green, though! Glad you enjoyed the vid. Thanks!

[@New_Zealand_Music]

Hi there I know this video is a few years old but I was wondering if you still new how to access the sequencer it doesn't really say in the manual and I'm having trouble programming my own beats what mode do I have to be in to do this please any help would be thoroughly appreciated. Heath thank you

[@billypilgrim1]

Baby you throw some reverb pedal into it maybe some tape echo and you gotta a stew going!!

[@HardtekStudios]

+BillyPilgrim How bout a Moog MF Drive pedal? Stay tuned.

[@billypilgrim1]

HardtekStudios oh yes

[@hulkslayer626]

Hahahahaha Arrested Development flashback 🤣

[@Meltmann]

does it have a synch out for tempo. I have a midi keyboard that does sequencing and arpeggiation and i would love to get them synched up together

[@wardendios2612]

Do you think I could produce Drum 'n' bass breakbeats? When that beat played at a high tempo, I saw the potential.

[@bakerbakerbaker305]

Is sweet water really trustworthy I see them all over ebay I usually buy used items from people

[@Dwolfmusic]

I'm kinda new to drummachines and synths. Is this a good one to start out with to play allong with guitar/bass to get some new wave sounds. I do have a lot of guitar effects, i'm kinda looking for that John Frusciante experimental drum sound.

[@HardtekStudios]

Never heard of him before so I looked up a video, and I have to say that this is the best & most affordable way to get that sound from hardware.

[@Dwolfmusic]

+HardtekStudios hah thanks, he is the ex guitar player of the red hot chili peppers( he made all the hits)

[@kevinberg2129]

I am very new to the hole drum machine sequencer synth game. I am simply trying to make metal drum beats for a one man , If you have any advice you could share with me I would love to hear them. im starting to see that a sequencer is maybe more geared towards house milusic ect. I had a alesis sr16 until it capes out on me yesterday day but it was nearly 20years old. it was my first time ever using a machine and it patients to learn. im in search of something easy to program with good authentic metal style drums, but im not counting out having the options of bass and other sounds and samples. but do what something user friendly not crazy priced and the more visual the timing can be the better.

[@loganamnosiss]

You definitely aren't going to get any metal sounding drums from this. I'd recommend you get something like an MPC500 or 1000, if you can afford it, because you can load any sounds you want on them. I don't play metal, but I have a few sample packs such as Woe is Me, and they sound top notch. But you won't get anything metal from any analog drum machine save for possibly a tempest from DSI.

[@shanebonanno5961]

+Kevin Berg The sequencing in any DAW will work for your purposes. Look into some of the stuff from ezdrummer and slate if you're willing to pay a bit for the sounds. Then either program them or get a device like the akai mpd218

[@kevinberg2129]

I actully for a daw program (drum grooves) but just messed around with easy drummer the other day and will be switching to it, but I like having a actual drum machine I'm a sucker for buttons and blinking lights bells and whistles, but I also just got a drum set still need cymbals, I had now idea how mutch cymbals cost foelr new ones. I could buy a new car for the price of outfitting my set it's freaking ridiculous.

[@vileguile4]

When the wolf came out they implied that you easily could modify it with extra outputs. Is this still the case? Also, can the kick become more BLAAAM instead of the high pitched boooop? :)

[@HardtekStudios]

+Sleepydog From what I have been told, there are points on the circuit that can be turned into individual outs, but they are not marked. I checked myself. As for the Cat's kick drum, I am still experimenting, but I don't think it can create the kick you are thinking of.

[@vileguile4]

+HardtekStudios Big thanks for your reply! ... thanks!

[@snowvalleyrat]

Great video! Can the individual drums be triggered via the midi input?

[@HardtekStudios]

+Frank Pirolo Thanks! The drums can be triggered via midi in. Have fun!

[@IkkeKendt]

I haven't completely understood the toms yet. There's only one tom-button, but the buttons in the bottom function as toms too? So 16 toms, or? And how do you Step Record those?

[@HardtekStudios]

Instead of thinking in terms of Lo Mid & Hi toms, think of it as a synth with a tom sound programed. You can play them chromatically, from C0-C3. My video, Prelude to War, has the Tom section playing a bassline. Hope this answers your question.

[@IkkeKendt]

Arh great.. Thank you :) listening to it now.

[@OGGalleryCrew]

Please can you tell or show how you connected the tom cat up as i will be using Ableton and a MPC Ren so were do i connect it to > Thanks

[@HardtekStudios]

Be happy to help. First, what is a MPC Ren?

[@OGGalleryCrew]

Akai Mpc Renaissanceis a sampler .

[@HardtekStudios]

Will you be hooking them up to a mixer or recorder or what?

[@OGGalleryCrew]

To a Mac Runing Ableton , I think The Lead Out On The Tom Cat Will Go Into The Aux In On The Mpc Renaissanceis Myself , And The Lead In On The Tom Cat I Can Add My Korg Kaossilatar Ko-1Or A Zoom G2G Guitar Multi Effects Pedal ?? Could I Use Say A Lexicon Alpha Studio Audio Interface Or A Tapco Pro 100 Compact Mixer If I was to Or Nedded A Mixer For My Set Up ! Thanks 4 The Help :)

[@whormongrmuzik]

so with the headphone out you can theoretically have 3 mono outs right (since there is no pan for the head out correct)?

[@HardtekStudios]

No pan at all! BoooOOoo!

[@whormongrmuzik]

well it is actually kind of cool - got a cheap one coming and if I can do a split to 3 mono outs I can probably do some neat stuff with guitar/bass pedal loops.

[@fabio.lor.]

Hi, today I bought it but I notice that disco tom attack knob doesn't change sound...I not listen any change of sound...

[@fabio.lor.]

This is what happens: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26254782/1.mp4 You can hear that sound haven't variation

[@HardtekStudios]

The Attack knob adds a slight click to the beginning of the sound. Turning it clockwise to the right will increase the volume. It is only noticeable at 12:00 or higher.

[@bradleypym1]

how can i record this? will i be able to use the USB port on the back to hook it up to a macbook?

[@HardtekStudios]

You can't record from the USB, only audio outs.

[@CallxMexLos]

do you still have to tune via a utility software like the rhythm wolf?

[@HardtekStudios]

No, they are drums so they don't have to be in perfect tune.

[@stevenalexander6882]

Sounds remind me of the Korg ER-1.

[@HardtekStudios]

Another of my favorite drum machines! I have the iPad version, but nothing beats hardware.

[@D.Z.A.-kp8lf]

this sound like it is crazy fun to play with don't know why everybody was shitting on these drum machines when they first came out but fuck them they got no imagination they don't know what music was really meant to be... Fun and experimental

[@danieldemayo6209]

Can it do odd time sigs?

[@HardtekStudios]

+Daniel DeMayo You can assign what is the last step, but it controls the whole sequence, not per instrument.

[@ej1mshan]

No aux port at the back :(

[@HardtekStudios]

+Jim Shannon I know! It would have been kewl to have the Toms on a aux out that way they can be mixed separately. Or the Tom section could have played the kick that way you could have the kick as a separate out.

[@citizenchris099]

Why can't I find one of these ANYWHERE. There 0 on Reverb or Ebay. If anyone has one they'd like to sell please DM me

[@lewistaylor5420]

what do you you hook it up to?

[@HardtekStudios]

What do you mean?

[@lewistaylor5420]

+HardtekStudios does one need an amp?

[@HardtekStudios]

It does not have a built in speaker, so you would need an amp or pa system or just some headphones. I have mine plugged into a patchy that feeds a mixer that doubles as a computer audio interface.

[@lewistaylor5420]

+HardtekStudios sounds great see I'm a drummer and I'm trying to better my playing using click tracks could I create click tracks with it?

[@HardtekStudios]

The Akai Rhythm Wolf might be a better solution, because the "percussion" track has a metronome type of sound to it. Plus it has a synth that you can play drums to.

[@autoalejoangora6173]

so... no kick?

[@HardtekStudios]

Yes, it has a Kick & a Tom section that can be used as another kick.

[@leonavinlu]

Which is better to buy, this or Rhythm Wolf?

[@HardtekStudios]

Thats a tough one. What type of music do you want to make on it and do you need a bassline or extra drums?

[@Yourveryowncarrot]

This is going to be a pretty big claim, but that is the best fucking clap I've ever heard on any drum machine. Seriously considering picking this up.

[@konradhausmann6359]

Check out Boss dr 110 ;)

[@bluturtal]

This looks like a fun machine but I do not like that kick at all, nice hi-hats though.

[@abewilliams9868]

This sounds cool if I was Only a D.J. I was hoping for actual drum sets that you could modify.

[@klassization]

le clap ???!!!! :(

[@clickpop-et3gd]

Holy shit, that thing is awful. lol :P

[@reneotten2288]

+click.pop Some sounds are actually nice and could be pimped up using effects. But if you can't afford buying it (because it IS expensive! lol!) then it sucks, of course.

[@clickpop-et3gd]

+Rieni Otten Oh yeah, I would probably have to sell my entire 12U 126hp (a total of 504hp) Eurorack modular system to afford that yellow turd. :/

[@Zinfidel1]

Spotted the elitist! Every synth vid comment section has a few. Seriously though, the music scene doesn't need any more "I'm so edgy and this device is beneath me!" people. Just stop dude.

[@Zinfidel1]

So edgy. Sooo soo edgy.

[@HardtekStudios]

Cookies & rusty rakes?!?!? That's just my kind of thing! My B-day is coming up. Wanna come over? You bring the the rusty rakes and your big euro thing and I will supply the cookies & yellow turds.

[@deelux5519]

The real killer on this machine is the STUPID kick drum design...that pitch envelope....ugh......Impossible to get a good snappy kick....the workaround is to use the DISCO TOM as the kick drum, THAT sounds like a proper kick...then you can use the kick as a Tom.

[@longshotkdb]

lol

[@nobodyneverknows]

Buahahaha. Thats just amazing how bad it is :)

[@MidiFister]

+Chrząszczyświerszcz Chrabąszczyżowąski I get that "oh its just $200" eh no thanks.... id be bored in an hour. someone will make a sample pack and itll be just fine lol

[@evelskunny1]

sounds awful